It is in this parsha the Levi are given 48 cities with land around each city. Six of these cities are to be cities of refuge for a accidental murderer to flee to and be safe from a blood avenger. The law of the accidental murderer who goes into exile is mentioned in parsha Massay, Mishpatim, Vaeschanan, Sefer Yehoshua describes how the remaining three cities were separated, in parsha Shoftim we are told that when we listen to God and deserve, our land to be expanded, three more cities of refuge will be added. Right on the heals of all this talk about murderers and killers is a warning not to spill blood on the land. We are then warned not to make the land “tami” (impure) as God resides in the land, because God dwells within the children of Yisrael.

The sages say these 3 additional cities will be added in the Messianic era. Why will we need more cities of refuge for accidental murders in the messianic era ?

Well lets talk about war, there is a common situation where 90% of the citizens of a country pose a terrible threat by supporting terrorists and they don’t hide their support of terrorists as they celebrate the killing of innocents by the terrorists by passing out candy on the street rejoicing in genocidal intentions after every terror attack !. They name streets and public squares after these mass murderers. In war they hide the “active” combatants among themselves. The only way to kill the enemy that is trying to kill you is to drop bombs that would destroy the entire country. Its war and war has casualties, “collateral damage”.. Innocent civilians even die in wars, unfortunately this always has been the way of the world. There is no way to avoid this. We can try to minimize the numbers but there will be “accidental” deaths. So there will need to be these cities of refuge for the “accidental murders”.

When we are dealing with a “milchemet mitzvah” (A obligatory war , a war to save Jewish lives in the land of Israel is one of them)- there is no room for talk of delay or “proper timing.” Even if the offensive will undoubtedly lead to many innocent deaths, one must act without the slightest hesitation lest “Chillul Hashem” results by our inaction. Rashi explains: “He who stands against Israel is as one who stands against the Almighty.”

The Rambam in Guide to the Perplexed understands the need of listing the names of all 42 places Yisrael camped in the desert so later generations might not come to think “That Isreal when they were in the desert were able to survive the 40 years because they were near cities, where men live” But as we can discern from the locations of the 40 places listed where Yisrael camped in the desert. It wound not have been possible for Yisrael to till and plant the land and to reap or feed on plants that were to be found there. The God had the 42 places Yisrael camped in the desert delineated in detail so we may clearly know that our survival in the desert those 40 years was only by miracles. It was NOT natural for the manna to always fall in those places. There were NO wells of water in those places….” This all was meant to emphasize the extent of the miracle of the existence of the Hebrews in the desert for the entire 40 years. The Ramban explains that the detail of the writing of the journeys of Yisrael in the desert was written in the Bible for a purpose which is SECRET which has not been revealed to us. Yisrael were originally traveling in the desert very fast as “ takes eleven days to travel from Horeb via Mt. Seir to Kadesh Barnea,” but they miraculously traversed this distance in three days.

One must go through many journeys. In our Parsha massay 42 journeys of Isreal in the desert are described. These journeys raise us from below to above. Raising all to Bina consciousness , revelation of our Nashama (soul of Divine intellect). To be more specific 42 aspects raising the Emotional soul , the “Ruach” to the Nashama and its guiding consciousness. It is by these journeys that we each face in our own live’s which are our “tikun” (fixing) so that we may enter a Divine state of consciousness called “Yisrael”. In these journeys we face many tests, these come to refine us. By this we may merit to not only have the consciousness called “Yisrael”, but to actually enter the Holy land and connect to the Infinite quality of God that is always dwelling upon the Land. It is a quality like Shabot which is manifest by the Divine name of (42) מ”ב of the world of Bria as explained in the books concerning the meditations of the Shabot.

It waa a great miracle making a dry rock into a source of fresh water in Refidim, the third location involving water on the Children of Yisrael’s journeys. the Torah tells us:

וַיַּחֲנוּ בִּרְפִידִם וְלֹא הָיָה שָׁם מַיִם לָעָם לִשְׁתּוֹת
They camped in Refidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. (verse14)

Here, in Refidim, is where Moshe hit the rock for the first time, producing water for the people. At Refididim is also where Yisrael fights Amalak. This source of water accompanied Israel for the next nearly 40 years.

“Water” is mentioned with three locations in the list of Israel’s 42 journeys in the Desert.. Each time, whether in Marah, Eilim, or Refidim, the water’s appearance was accompanied by a miracle.

For they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the desert of Sinai, and had camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.

(Smot 19:2)

“Smot” (Exodus Chapter 17)

And all the congregation of the people of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; and there was no water for the people to drink.

Therefore the people complained to Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said to them, Why do you strive with me? why do you tempt the Lord?

And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

And Moses cried to the Lord, saying, What shall I do to this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

And the Lord said to Moses, Go on before the people, and take with you of the elders of Israel; and your rod, with which you struck the river, take in your hand, and go.

Behold, I will stand before you there upon the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the people of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?

Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

And Moses said to Joshua, Choose for us men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.

So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

Refidim is the 11th Journey out of the 42 listed.

Here Moshe brings water from a Rock, and fights Amalak, and because of what happened here Moshe could not enter the Holy Land.

In reviewing all the places the tribes traveled after they left Egypt until encampment on the plains of Moab near the Jordan river of Jericho. We learn that Aharon died on the first day of the fifth month . Of all the people that die in the Torah, only the day of Aharon’s death is told to us. The Torah doesn’t tell us the day when Abraham or Sarah or Moshe or Miriam or anyone else died – only Aharon.

Like on Shabot in Aretz Yisrael light is revealed. In Aretz Yisrael light is revealed more because the garments vessels for light are more refined in Asiyah (the physical world) as their bodies are more sanctified in mitzvot than if dwelling outside the land. As Aretz Yisrael itself is as a “mikvah” (ritual bath) completely surrounding you. “Aretz” (land) is related to “ratzon” (will), receiving the yolk of heaven is the spiritual aspect of Aretz Yisrael.3 Those who walk in the ways of “avoda zara” (the way of GOD being strange to them). Then the way of GOD will not rest in their hearts.4 By transgression we can become defiled and separated from GOD and in need of cleansing. This cleansing is relative in degrees as we see in the parsha. With a sincere commitment for the sake of Heaven we can avoid much of the worst kind of defilement. Defilement of our intellects. As this God forbid can cloud over our understanding and shake our sincere commitment to Divine service in fulfilling the will of Heaven. In the beginning of parsha Masay are described forty two places of our journeys in the desert after leaving Egypt. The sages say these journeys are the idea of exile. Exiles are a separation from GOD. To prevent this we must not let our eyes lead us astray with foreign thoughts, but we must hold on to our firm sincere commitment. That’s why GOD told us to remove all the inhabitants of Cannan as it says in our parsha “But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those whom you allow to remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall harass you in the land where you live”(33:55). So we must not delay but even now must remove the terrorists from around us and in our midst. And those who have been over come by foreign thoughts among Israel’s ruling clique who share both an affinity to foreign governments and, accordingly, an anti-Jewish agenda. The political candidates who habitually lie to voters, promising them a hard line against the terrorists. But once in office, they take more concern with the rights of the terrorists and their communities than protecting the citizens of Israel. The primary responsibility of a government is the protection of its citizens. These we must rid ourselves of. So that then our enemies will finally cease to exist with the arrival of out righteous Mashiach quickly in our days.

The eyes, ears, nose and mouth are 7 windows by which the soul ascends by 7 types of herbs. They all illuminate aspects of chuchmah. They are Nard which is Chesed of Chuchmah, Safron-Givurah, Calamus-Teferet, Cinnamon-Netzauch, Frankincence-Hod, Myrrh-Yesod, Aloes correspond to Malchut of Chuchmah. Herbs are conduits of angels Ofanim Chayot and Caruvim. Gold is something above, copper below and silver is in between filling the gap. Rabbi Avraham Abulafia teaches in Aor haSachel that Hashem chose Aravot (the heaven) of all the gilgullim (spheres) it is here He chose to set his כסא(thrown). Of all the stars of heaven he chose the sun, and from all the yesodot (elements) he chose fire. Of all metals He chose gold. Of all the trees He chose the Date palm tree, of all animals the Leviyaton, of birds the Eagle, of all beast the lion. The incense was unique, in that its forbidden to make compounding its ingredients for personal use. Even if one does not burn it. Do so carries a death penalty and this is one of the 36 things that cause a soul to be “cut off”.

There are eleven ingredients of the incense, eleven goat-skin

overhangings of the Tabernacle, and the eleven curses in parashat Ki Tavo these are the ten sefirot of nogah. With the klppa Noga the Divine life-force enlivening them cannot be absorbed within them, because the holy does not mix with the profane. Rather, it hovers over their heads, and shines onto them from there. Together they are thus regarded as eleven But with the ten holy sefirot this is not so. The Divine life-force that enlivens them is absorbed within them, and thus they are counted only as ten.

The oar Ha Chyim taught that “kayin” knew of the arms and feet of the earth. So he didn’t need to lay a hand on Abel to kill him. The four sides of the shechina (Divine presence) are according to the four flags of the “midbar”, and so are there four groups of Jews safardim, askanazim Catalonians and Italians. Cohen cooresponds to tohu, Levi to Vohu and Yisrael to chosech (darkness). All Yisrael nourish from a light that is so bright it appears as darkness. The lights are revealed by raising up sparks through mitzvot and acts of kindness. Then new lights decent from above to the nefesh ruach nashama chayah and Yachida (levels of the soul) to each man accordingly. The main rising of sparks is by “tikun” (fixing) of the central piller. “Avodat haKodesh” (Holy woorks) makes zivug of Teferet (Balence) in Malchut (revelation of Divine presence in the earth), and flows rachamim (mercy) to sweeten “din” (judgment). The Nefesh of the sadeek (Holy person) creates the world. According to the Yesod (Gateway of energy) of their Nashama there is eminated their cavana (intentions) on the world, and by this we say Hashem (God) rules. This is the manuchah (rest) of sadeekem. By this they will inherit olam Haba. As the way they live now is from the Histashalut (unfolding of energy) from the “great Shabot”. The nose of the Shechinah (Divine Presence) has in it 370 lights. These sweeten its givurot (forces of restriction). Then there is found manuchah (rest). 370 lights are 300 of the first 3 sefirot and 70 lights are the 70 midot of 10 sefirot each. Hashem has pleasure through “Avodat Yisreael” when when they do His will, He is with them in the 6 “midot” (attributes)of love, fear and the beautiful sparks in the praise of Hashem in “devecut” (cleaving). Count from the world of Bina which is “oneg” (delight) the 7 “midot” till Yesod, then Malchut is called “bat Sheva”. (Count the quality of your avoda, until being complete in all 7 attributes). From the service of sadeekem doing mitzvot (commandments) and misim tovim (good deeds) its like there is made “nachat ruach” (a joy of spirit). there is made a tikun in the “mesach” (the screen filtering the light) that descends dressing in a garment drawn from the rekia (firmament). The light from above “oar yosher” (light that comes down) dresses in the sparks rising from below called “oar chozir”(sparks of light returning to its source rising). Moshe increased praise for Yisrael, becouse of this they merited to receive the Torah. Even if they were in a place of tuma (impurity) that the angels were afraid to enter they went out with a high hand. Always the Shechinah is in the sin of her children dwelling in their tuma so all the year without doubt one needs to purify themselves with water of Rachamim (Mercy) from Ima (Divine mother) by the middle pillar יהו”ה, so you will be pure before Hashem. The oar ha chyim teaches the purpose of the various exiles is to gather isolated segments of sanctity scattered in various branches of the klippa (vessel of the other side of concielment). We learn from Rabbi Moshe Cordevero that exile is a lack of unification of the sefirot, causing a separation from “nanhaga” (divine providence). When there is not sanctified the name of Hashem but it is desecrated before the nations, heaven forbid, there dresses the spiritual supervisors of the nations upon the flow of divine light nourishing from it. This is the exile of the shechinah, but even in exile the light of noga (sparks) surrounds. This is ” I am exiled in your midst”. This is the secret of the ofanim, angels of asiyah (this physical world).

This world is full of all kinds of light you just have to get those sparks from all thing taking them from even from there captured place giving power to the “other side”. Raising them then up to the Holiness you shall then Rejoice in the Spirit of Holiness. We shall then all go from our “masay” (Journeys) of Exile to the Peace of complete redemption with our Messiah quickly in our days !